ESPN Player Poll Regarding Managers

Parade_Rain

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Watching ESPN, they just posted a player poll "If you could play for any manager other than your own, who would it be?"

Joe Maddon 35%
Bruce Bochy 18%
Terry Francona 7%
Mike Matheny 5%
Tony LaRussa 4%
Buck Showalter 4%
 

CSF77

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Jealous? Bottom line is he got the Scrubs into being the Cubs. That has not happened sense Lou. Ya having a proven manager does impact the quality of a team.

It comes down to wanting to win. That does not mean demanding players to be winners. Or for players acting out wanting to win when they are just there for the pay day. It is about creating a atmosphere that instills a winning environment.

Instead of grinding the players for hours of drills he pulls a meeting to have a magician to do some tricks. That lead to a 3 game sweep. Got their minds out of the 5 game loss funk. Drilling them would be seen as a punishment. Not really not changing the mood but deepening the mood.

So I get it that a few of us don't buy into it but it is working and that is what matters in the end.
 

brett05

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Batting the pitcher 8th is a loser move...truth
 

SilenceS

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Batting the pitcher 8th is a loser move...truth

You do know that more then just the Cubs bat the pitcher 8th now? The reds do it. In fact, Paul Molitor of the Twins batted his pitcher 8th in the NL park.
 

TL1961

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You do know that more then just the Cubs bat the pitcher 8th now? The reds do it. In fact, Paul Molitor of the Twins batted his pitcher 8th in the NL park.

So how does the fact that the Reds are doing it help refute the assertion that it is a loser move?
 

TL1961

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Jealous? Bottom line is he got the Scrubs into being the Cubs. That has not happened sense Lou. Ya having a proven manager does impact the quality of a team.

It comes down to wanting to win. That does not mean demanding players to be winners. Or for players acting out wanting to win when they are just there for the pay day. It is about creating a atmosphere that instills a winning environment.

Instead of grinding the players for hours of drills he pulls a meeting to have a magician to do some tricks. That lead to a 3 game sweep. Got their minds out of the 5 game loss funk. Drilling them would be seen as a punishment. Not really not changing the mood but deepening the mood.

So I get it that a few of us don't buy into it but it is working and that is what matters in the end.

Our starters pitched well because a magician was brought in?

Are we sure the Mets weren't a huge reason we swept? Our problem during the 5 game losing streak was offense. That didn't change in the sweep of the Mets, and it continued against Miami.

He should have batted the magician 8th.
 

TL1961

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I am not comparing Maddon to Larussa in general, but one thing I would say about both is that their strength lies not in the in-game moves so much as their ability to navigate the season from game 1 to game 162.

Larussa's teams would grind out wins in games that could easily "get away". The Cubs have still let a lot of those get away, yet they also have won a lot late and a lot of close ones, so they have at least cut down considerably on those losses.

I shake my head at his use of way too many players in close games, leaving himself short. But I love the overall message of giving it their all and playing with hustle. The main difference I notice on this team is taking extra bases abd being aware on the field. (Well, MOST of them, anyway)
 

Parade_Rain

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So how does the fact that the Reds are doing it help refute the assertion that it is a loser move?
Those on a team fan forum, who never played baseball beyond Little League, may think they know more than one of the best managers in the game (with data supplied to him by some of the brightest FO personnel in the game), but that doesn't make it a loser move. The more teams doing it, the more it will be accepted and tried by more teams. It will become a standard part of the game within the next 5 years IMHO.
 

Parade_Rain

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What the poll numbers say is that the tide has turned. FA will want to play for the Cubs. Better players = more wins. Maddon has a +WAR as a manager.
 

TL1961

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Those on a team fan forum, who never played baseball beyond Little League, may think they know more than one of the best managers in the game (with data supplied to him by some of the brightest FO personnel in the game), but that doesn't make it a loser move. The more teams doing it, the more it will be accepted and tried by more teams. It will become a standard part of the game within the next 5 years IMHO.

I didn't call it a loser move. I asked how a team with a losing record using it proves it is not.

As it stands, the idea is to have more guys on for the better hitters. On one hand, we certainly can't say it has proven to work. On the other hand, it's the OBP of the two leadoff hitters that is the issue. The fact they are not executing doesn't make the move incorrect.

But it sure does seem like a lot of times the pitcher comes up with two outs and men on base. That has made it look worse, but may be simply perception.
 

Parade_Rain

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I didn't call it a loser move. I asked how a team with a losing record using it proves it is not.

As it stands, the idea is to have more guys on for the better hitters. On one hand, we certainly can't say it has proven to work. On the other hand, it's the OBP of the two leadoff hitters that is the issue. The fact they are not executing doesn't make the move incorrect.

But it sure does seem like a lot of times the pitcher comes up with two outs and men on base. That has made it look worse, but may be simply perception.

Brett05 specifically said it's a loser move. Looking at how often the pitcher comes to the plate with 2 outs. Yeah, he makes an out, but then you get 2 people in front of Rizzo. No one is hitting well. That's on the players, not Maddon's strategy.
 
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Zvbxrpl

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Jealous? Bottom line is he got the Scrubs into being the Cubs. That has not happened sense Lou. Ya having a proven manager does impact the quality of a team.

It comes down to wanting to win. That does not mean demanding players to be winners. Or for players acting out wanting to win when they are just there for the pay day. It is about creating a atmosphere that instills a winning environment.

Instead of grinding the players for hours of drills he pulls a meeting to have a magician to do some tricks. That lead to a 3 game sweep. Got their minds out of the 5 game loss funk. Drilling them would be seen as a punishment. Not really not changing the mood but deepening the mood.

So I get it that a few of us don't buy into it but it is working and that is what matters in the end.

Not jealous at all.

ESPN has become the tmz of news. They dont care about sports unless it affects their bottom line. If it aint Tiger Woods sucking for the 8 millionth time, since he quit PEDs or LeBron's cereal or headband choice choice, or their laughable "knowledge" of hockey, or Tom Brady, or just the SEC--there's nothing on. They dont pay attention to anything else.

Once in a very blue moon, their Outside the Lines reporting has something good. Bob Ley is fantastic.

So no. I couldn't care less about a popularity poll from the world's biggest joke of a sports station.

A "great guy" for a manager cant fix the shitty pitching situation. Let's start there before we accept the cosmetic pats on the back and gush about the popularity contest. Let the popularity contests go to those who need it.

If you think a "magician doing tricks" solved the cubs woes, not the mets' shitty, pathetic hitting--in the famous words of one KB: "you're an idiot."

1 run the past series, and 10 in a 7 game season series. That doesn't scream "manager righted the ship after troublesome times against the cards."

That says the mets cant hit. David Murphy's the best hitter on that team with anyone over 10 ABs. Sorry, Matz's 3-3 day doesnt count.

2nd to last in the NL in total offense, ahead of the laughable Phillies. The cubs faced the right team at the right time to end the slump.

Maddon is the right guy, and yeah--he's probably the kind of guy you'd want to grab a beer with, and amid making some wild working and some boneheaded calls he's better than many. But lets cool the jets on a popularity contest. Bruce Bochy is the guy I'd want in my dugout above anything else since LaRussa left.

So to you I say :fap:
 

Parade_Rain

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Not jealous at all.

ESPN has become the tmz of news. They dont care about sports unless it affects their bottom line. If it aint Tiger Woods sucking for the 8 millionth time, since he quit PEDs or LeBron's cereal or headband choice choice, or their laughable "knowledge" of hockey, or Tom Brady, or just the SEC--there's nothing on. They dont pay attention to anything else.

Once in a very blue moon, their Outside the Lines reporting has something good. Bob Ley is fantastic.

So no. I couldn't care less about a popularity poll from the world's biggest joke of a sports station.

A "great guy" for a manager cant fix the shitty pitching situation. Let's start there before we accept the cosmetic pats on the back and gush about the popularity contest. Let the popularity contests go to those who need it.

If you think a "magician doing tricks" solved the cubs woes, not the mets' shitty, pathetic hitting--in the famous words of one KB: "you're an idiot."

1 run the past series, and 10 in a 7 game season series. That doesn't scream "manager righted the ship after troublesome times against the cards."

That says the mets cant hit. David Murphy's the best hitter on that team with anyone over 10 ABs. Sorry, Matz's 3-3 day doesnt count.

2nd to last in the NL in total offense, ahead of the laughable Phillies. The cubs faced the right team at the right time to end the slump.

Maddon is the right guy, and yeah--he's probably the kind of guy you'd want to grab a beer with, and amid making some wild working and some boneheaded calls he's better than many. But lets cool the jets on a popularity contest. Bruce Bochy is the guy I'd want in my dugout above anything else since LaRussa left.

So to you I say :fap:
LOL. It was a player poll. You really went out on a limb with Bochy since he's the second guy on the list.
 

Boobaby1

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1 run the past series, and 10 in a 7 game season series. That doesn't scream "manager righted the ship after troublesome times against the cards."

Well Pat, he may have not righted the ship, but they are staying afloat regardless of who they are playing despite the whole team going into a funk which could have easily put them totally out of it. You have to beat those teams, and especially take advantage when another team isn't playing well.

I mean, the Rays have a long losing streak. The Tigers had one and also got swept by Pittsburgh. Detroit has hitting and still lost a lot.

The Cardinals just went 4 in a row, and eked out a 2-1 win yesterday against the Padres. They haven't been hitting either which I hope continues.

Take the Cubs for what they are which in your words was a "pleasant surprise" I believe, and before Miami, they did play 20 out of the last 29 games on the road.

They are getting a lot out of their system as far as adjustments, and still have some more coming when more people arrive. Russell and Bryant have already learned a ton, so that is good news moving forward.

If someone would have told me that halfway through the year that the Cubs would have this record with Soler, LaStella, Denorphia, Ramirez, and Grimm going down, along with Wood getting replaced by Wada in the rotation, I would have gladly taken it.

Sure some of those guys aren't big names, but you still replace them with bench players, and the bench players are being countered with AAA replacements.

To think that in every division in baseball, that the Cubs would only be a few games back cannot be all that bad. Who would have thunkit that the ass-hat Cardinals would have this kind of record. :dunno:

I still don't know how they are doing it? Of course they play sound baseball and have good pitching and defense, but their offense is nothing compared to what it used to be.

They are playing so far above their heads it is pathetic IMO, which just fuels the debate that they do absolutely nothing wrong.

I think Lynn goes today, and unless Martinez pitches on 4 days rest, they will probably see Lackey, Wacha, Garcia, and maybe Lyons in that double header game.

The Cubs will counter with Lester, Arrieta, Hammel, and ?.

Time for a little payback. :smug2:
 

brett05

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Those on a team fan forum, who never played baseball beyond Little League, may think they know more than one of the best managers in the game (with data supplied to him by some of the brightest FO personnel in the game), but that doesn't make it a loser move. The more teams doing it, the more it will be accepted and tried by more teams. It will become a standard part of the game within the next 5 years IMHO.

:lol: The typical superiority complex shines thru again.
 

brett05

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But it sure does seem like a lot of times the pitcher comes up with two outs and men on base. That has made it look worse, but may be simply perception.

Ding!
 

brett05

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Not jealous at all.

ESPN has become the tmz of news. They dont care about sports unless it affects their bottom line. If it aint Tiger Woods sucking for the 8 millionth time, since he quit PEDs or LeBron's cereal or headband choice choice, or their laughable "knowledge" of hockey, or Tom Brady, or just the SEC--there's nothing on. They dont pay attention to anything else.

Once in a very blue moon, their Outside the Lines reporting has something good. Bob Ley is fantastic.

So no. I couldn't care less about a popularity poll from the world's biggest joke of a sports station.

A "great guy" for a manager cant fix the shitty pitching situation. Let's start there before we accept the cosmetic pats on the back and gush about the popularity contest. Let the popularity contests go to those who need it.

If you think a "magician doing tricks" solved the cubs woes, not the mets' shitty, pathetic hitting--in the famous words of one KB: "you're an idiot."

1 run the past series, and 10 in a 7 game season series. That doesn't scream "manager righted the ship after troublesome times against the cards."

That says the mets cant hit. David Murphy's the best hitter on that team with anyone over 10 ABs. Sorry, Matz's 3-3 day doesnt count.

2nd to last in the NL in total offense, ahead of the laughable Phillies. The cubs faced the right team at the right time to end the slump.

Maddon is the right guy, and yeah--he's probably the kind of guy you'd want to grab a beer with, and amid making some wild working and some boneheaded calls he's better than many. But lets cool the jets on a popularity contest. Bruce Bochy is the guy I'd want in my dugout above anything else since LaRussa left.

So to you I say :fap:

:clap:
 

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